Throne of Glass
Jam-man265: how bout now?
YuukiAsuna-Chan: I'll admit, Kaguya hasn't played as important a role as I had initially intended. Hopefully however, I'll fix that. I still want her to be important, and I haven't removed her from the character list for a reason.
Chapter 12: A Change of Plans
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Ashford European Development Facility; 2016 ATB.
The Marianne truly was an incredible machine.
And Kallen was experiencing first hand how amazing it was, rushing down an oversized obstacle course in a frame tuned for maximum maneuverability. She had already performed the task multiple times by now, but the versatility of the Marianne's equipment allowed her a completely different experience every time. Of course the knightmare had been extensively tested already, this was merely checking the outcome of production in the European factories. These Mariannes were the first out of production here, and would be shipped to the EU as soon as they were confirmed ready. Which was hopefully very soon.
"I think that was a new record Kallen." Allen said to her from a row of various computers above the maintenance bay. "Well done."
She grinned as she opened the machine's cockpit, standing up and stretching. She had been inside a knightmare for about eight hours now, which was more time than Naoto had ever let her near that red hunk of metal sitting in a derelict warehouse in the ghettos. But as much as she enjoyed being in the pilot seat, it didn't do good things for her back for such periods of time.
"I wonder how fast we could make it go without any armaments." She thought aloud.
"Like without armor or anything?" Allen asked while giving her a hand out of the frame.
"Yeah. The system is able to adjust itself based on the frame's weight, so I wonder how much speed it would get without any extra weight." She explained, sitting down next to Allen at the monitors.
"We clocked you at ninety miles an hour going straight long enough, but that's just wth the light armor, I'm not sure how fast it could go." He admitted, reviewing her run's statistics.
An idea suddenly popped into her head, and she was proud of herself for realizing it was something Allen hadn't thought of; a very rare occasion. "Can't we deploy a team of heavy frames than have them ditch the armor later? Or have some sort of battlefield armory like that?"
Allen smiled at the question. "The Marianne has an emergency detachment function that's officially meant for discarding damaged armor, but the system still makes up for it either way. But we don't need to tell our clients that."
Kallen nodded, slightly disappointed that he had-of course-planned for that. Still, it was hardly surprising. The core function of the Marianne was an active distribution system that diverts between power and speed to support the different variants. Like an automatic transmission that would adjust the entire system without a mechanic changing the inner workings of the frame every time a new load out was swapped. Of course Allen would have foreseen the ability to abuse that long before she did. Even still, she wondered if the Britannians would be able to figure that out. The Marianne was a lot more versatile than they thought. Mobile armories could potentially re outfit a knightmare in just seconds to be deployed completely differently. Sure, knightmare were considered the apex military hardware, but they weren't fit for every aspect of warfare-until now. All that was missing was a flight upgrade and the Ashford's vision will have completely dominated modern combat. In every possible way.
"Hey Allen." She called to him, drawing his attention away from the rows of test data. "Why is it called the Marianne?"
Sure she knew at least one reason. Calling the noble's favorite toy by the most painful reminder of their past was a good way to slap them in the face, but there were certainly few who would competent refuse to buy the frame with that kind of name. And Allen wanted the Marianne in as many hands as possible. So such a name seemed to go against that idea. And she couldn't help but feel there was a much different reason, something more personal. Allen didn't respond when she first asked the question, so decided to try and expound on her thought. "I mean, calling in the Marianne isn't exactly the best way to get Britannia to buy it."
Allen smirked at that. "No, it really isn't." He agreed. "Marianne was the reason the Ashfords came to power. She was the reason the knightmare was given more than a fleeting glance. And she is...was living proof that anyone could get anywhere with enough talent. A commoner wth nothing to her name became the empress of Britannia." His smile faded, and his face went cold. "She was killed for it. Six years ago she was assassinated in her own home. Hardly a few days later her daughter died of the same attack. All the while the emperor turned a blind eye to the whole thing. Marianne's son Lelouch was exiled to Japan for speaking out against his father. Just before Britannia declared war. He was only ten years old and was forever removed from his home. Not that he even last that long anyway. With that the vi Britannia line was wiped out forever. The Ashford Family fell with their figurehead, and everyone forgot all about them."
He gave a heavy sigh, leaning back in his chair. "Its more than just a reminder. In a way its a memorial; one she never had. Marianne vi Britannia was murdered by her country because she's stood against their hierarchy. She represented something they didn't like, and she died for that. And we children died as well. I just want to make sure someone remembers that."
Kallen could only nod. She hadn't known half of what had really happened. The emperor truly was a despicable man; more so than she ever previously thought. It suddenly occurred to her that her own father had done very near the same thing. The moment it was no longer socially acceptable to have a Japanese wife he all but murdered her. She might as well be dead now with the shell of a woman that wanders the Stadtfeld manor, smashing into every vase and flower pot she could. His wife and his children were effectively dead to him. She realized now that her stepmother was the only one who even so much a spoke a word to her, even if it was constantly laced with seething venom. She was the only heir to the Stadfeld name after Naoto disappeared. Lady Stadtfeld couldn't have children, so that left only her. Yet her father never seemed to give her the time of day. Not so much as a fleeting glance.
"You know I never realized the emperor's own philosophy would apply to his own children. You'd think for that...he'd make an exception." Kallen finally replied. It came as a dull surprise to fell something akin to pity for a Britannian; a royal no less. Yet it only served to fuel her hatred for the empire even more.
Allen snorted at her comment, with a slight shake of his head. "That man holds no remorse for anything, and he cares for no one. And a man like that can't stand on top of the Britannian empire, poisoning the people with a self destructive ideology. If the emperor would abandon- even sacrifice his own children, how long before his subjects do the same?"
Kallen momentarily froze. He was right, it was just what she had been thinking. With that logic she could blame the emperor just as much as her own father for what happened to her family. But did she? A leader leads by example, and Charles zi Britannia encouraged ruthlessness and sacrifice. With his rule the Britannian people would ultimately destroy themselves, just as Allen had said. And as much as she hated Britannia, Kallen found she couldn't really blame the common people. Yes it was poisoned words that led them to believe trampling over others was the key to success. Abandoning friends and family who serve no purpose in furthering their own ambitions. Whether it was his own children, or the entire Japanese race, nothing was beneath the emperor of Britannia. And by his own words those malicious deeds were transformed into acts of ambitious action. Yes, Kallen did blame the emperor. He was at the heart of her broken past, both her country and her family were lost to his twisted beliefs.
The emperor was her one true enemy. And she would fight to see his reign come to an end.
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Ashford Tower; 2016 ATB
Jeremiah Gottwald had in his mind a thousand questions. Questions that he had rid of years ago, buried beneath his grief and guilt. At the time, he had been too afraid, or perhaps to ashamed to ask them, to pursue the truth of what happened six years ago. Instead he devoted himself to his work, choosing to forget his greatest enemyfailure. Or at least he tried to forget. Of course, that guilt never truly did go away, it always lingered, hovering over him like a ghost of the past. Now, after so long, he could finally earn reprieve from that spirit, from Lady Marianne the Flash. Or in the least, clarity.
Lelouch vi Britannia, the son of his idol, was alive. He knew it, it had to be. The more he thought about it the more it made sense. Of course the boy would have gone to the Ashford Family for aid. And of course he would be out for revenge, had he survived such an ordeal. The boy must hate Britannia, and more so his father, after everything he had gone through. And Jeremiah really had no place to blame him for his hatred. It was the royal family who took from him his mother and sister, and Lelouch had built for himself a way to take revenge upon them. He could see that now, and now he could finally redeem himself, after everything he himself had gone through, he could devote himself to his true lord. And perhaps, further his lord's ambition as well. To take vengeance for the woman they both loved, and respected, the woman who would now forever be remembered by the actions her son took. The Marianne, yes that machine is what brought Jeremiah to him, and it was very fitting indeed.
He strode through the doors of the massive tower, entering into a fittingly large reception area. This was the Ashford Tower, and it was certainly worthy of the name.
He confidently approached the receptionist, the woman smiled as he reached her, and she rose to greet him.
"Hello sir, how may I help you?" She asked him, bowing politely.
"I would like to speak to Lord Ashford." He told her. "My name is Margrave Jeremiah Gottwald. I come for personal business."
"Well Margrave, Lord Ashford is attending the sakuradite distribution conference at Kawaguche at this time, so I'm afraid he can't-"
Jeremiah raised his hand to stop her, quickly realizing she misinterpreted him. It was Ruben Ashford attending that conference, he would have been there as well has 'Allen' been the one to go instead. "I meant Allen Ashford, miss. His son."
She blinked in surprise. "Ah, well that won't be possible either Margrave. He is currently away in Europe. He'll be there for some time I believe."
Jeremiah internally deflated. He had finally worked up the courage to come and face him, only to realize her wouldn't even get the chance. Not yet at least, he soon realized. He took a quick second to collect himself, before responding. "May I speak with him when he returns?"
"That will be a little hard to figure out. Lord Ashford tends to keep a very busy schedule." She told him.
"Can you pencil me in?" He pressed further, beginning to lose his patience.
"I suppose. But I can't guarantee he'll actually see you, Margrave." The receptionist replied.
"Thank you, miss. "Jeremiah suppressed a groan, turning away to leave. It seemed to only get worse. He would have to be persistent, if he was to get the chance to see Lelouch. He convinced himself it would be worth it however. And steeled himself to wait just a little longer, for the confirmation he so desperately needed.
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Malcal Manor; 2016 ATB
It had been a while since Lelouch set foot in the Malcal's home. He had spoke with the senator numerous times in the past, both over the phone and in person, during the construction of the German factories. He had only just arrived, having finished everything he needed to do in Germany, and made a quick flight to France, where Senator Malcal lived. Paris was a nice place, certainly more likable than the arid desert of Pendragon. A city in the middle of nowhere.
"So I hear you've joined the military." He said to the woman sitting across from him. "They've made you a major."
Leila nodded. "Yes, I just graduated from the academy a few weeks ago actually."
Lelouch laughed a little, surprising her. "How strange is it that a sixteen year old girl is so readily accepted into the military. How desperate are they?"
Leila huffed in response, turning her head away. "Your demands aren't easily refused when you're the daughter of an important person." She glanced at him. "I'm sure you can agree."
Lelouch grinned. "Yes, I suppose that is true. Though I wonder what this W-0 unit you're now a part of is?"
She raised an eyebrow at the inquiry. "Now how do you know about that?"
He only shrugged. "I have a lot of connections you know. It's part of being the son of an important person."
She shook her head, unable to refute that logic. "It's a special unit comprised of Japanese refugees. Though I suppose you would call them elevens. We take on extremely dangerous missions...with little survival rate. I hope to change that."
Lelouch slowly nodded. It was clear the unit was designed as a sacrificial lamb to lower the mortality rate of EU soldiers. It was a rather harsh assignment, and Lelouch was beginning to think that was the reason she was given such a rank, at her age. They didn't actually want her after all.
"You live in Area Eleven don't you?" She asked him. "What are the Japanese like there?"
"I have a friend whose Japanese. They're strong people Leila, and I'm sure they will make great subordinates for you." He told her honestly. It was obvious she wasn't expecting that kind of answer, and it was written all over her face
"Yes, well, I hope so. The W-0 is a relatively new unit, but they've suffered a lot of casualties already." She explained, seeming somewhat downcast.
"Well, in sure you can change that." He reassured her.
He briefly wondered if he could actually use Leila in any way. He wasn't sure if he was ever planning to involve himself with the war in Europe, more than arming both sides that is. But perhaps, he could use the W-0 to turn the tide. They were given dangerous missions, ones that had no chance of success. But with good men, and a competent leader, they could give Britannia more than just a hard time. The question now was if it was worth the effort. The opportunity was certainly here. Now all he need do is take it.
"Leila, I-" he was cut off by a ringing. The phone he never turned off had very little contacts. And any of them calling him now were not for a good reason. "Excuse me." He said instead, before rising.
Suzaku; he read on the display. No, this was not a good reason.
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Ashford Tower; 2016 ATB
"The entire command structure?!"
Suzaku closed his eyes, the angry voice of his friend shouting the the phone.
"How exactly did this happen?!"
"During the transmission between bases for the restructuring, it was accidentally intercepted. All we know for sure is the OSI has it. It's heavily encrypted, but we don't know how long that will last." He explained.
"Whose fault is this?" Lelouch demanded.
"Eldon was in charge of the transmissions. I attempted to take care of this before you got back, but it looks like that won't be happening. I'm sorry Lelouch, but this needs your attention."
"No, its fine, thanks for trying." Lelouch replied honestly. "I'm coming back immediately. We'll take care of this...ridiculous mess."
"I agree Lelouch, this was easily avoidable. But...you're name is in there. This is serious." Suzaku said.
"I'd have much rather this not happened, but you know, I think I can put this in our favor somehow." Lelouch told him, a more upbeat tone in his voice than earlier.
Suzaku blinked. "Really? Well I guess I shouldn't be surprised."
Lelouch laughed at his response. "You give me too much credit. I'll try to flesh this out on my way over. I'll be there soon."
"Right. And look, in sorry I couldn't handle this, it's just-"
"It's not your fault Suzaku. I'll blame those responsible, and believe me, they will get no sympathy. But don't worry. I'll take care of this."
"Yeah, sure."
Suzaku hung up the phone. He hated that he had to call on Lelouch like this. It just reminded him of his own incompetence at times. He was trying to do more, to be more, and yet here he was completely incapable of fixing this on his own. He had no doubt Lelouch would have a perfect plan by the time he set foot in Japan, yet Suzaku had three days. And nothing to show for it. He cursed himself, wishing he could do more. He would do more, he had to. For Lelouch, and for everyone else e cares about. He couldn't make Japan into a better place like this, he had to be capable of accomplishing things himself, instead of relying on his friend for everything. So for now he resolved himself to watching Lelouch closely, to learn how he worked through problems. Like chess, he just needed to learn how to play.
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Lelouch glared at the line of men and women with a look that very well could kill. He was not happy.
The plan he devised to turn the situation around would force his hand. He had no doubt this was the best plan of action, but it still frustrated him to no end that he would have to accelerate his plans to rectify it. This would require they move before he wanted them to. He reluctantly decided it would be manageable, but in reality he would have preferred to wait longer. Unfortunately he no longer had that luxury. This change of plans was undesirable, but he would have to live with that.
"It had come to my attention that we now face a very serious problem." He said to the ones who made up his black ops team. The 'best of the best', save one as it seemed. "One that was easily avoidable."
He paces back and forth down the line of stone face individuals, stopping in front of the one whose composure was visibly less resolute then the rest.
"Our mission has become compromised, my friends." Lelouch spoke to the group, his icy eyes resting on the shaking ones before him. "Everything we worked for, everything we are fighting to achieve, may be lost."
No one moved, no one spoke, they all knew what it meant, and they all understood the circumstances. These people had always been able to grasp the bigger picture; they had all been victims of Britannia's schemes and machinations, they were used to risks. And they were not happy.
"I can tolerate failure." He said to the group, his glare still focused on one man. "I myself am not perfect, I can admit that. I have made mistakes, and I know I cannot succeed in everything."
His eyes suddenly narrowed, and his cold composure gave way to unbridled fury. "But to make a mistake like this?!" He screamed, the man at fault taking an involuntary step backward, and the ones beside him stepped away. "To fuck up so badly, that everything we have built could be lost in the blink of an eye! Do you even realize what this will cost us?!"
"P-please sir, just give me a second chance, I can fix this!" Eldon begged, his form visibly shaking.
Lelouch scowled, his eyes filled with anger. "Suzaku gave you your second chance." In a split second, a dagger had cut open the man's throat, and his body collapsed, eyes wide with shock as he choked on the floor. "And you failed."
Before Eldon had even stopped moving, Lelouch turned to the rest of the group. "Does anyone here object to the punishment I have given this failure?"
He waited, looking over their expressions. Some remained quiet out fear, while others silently agreed wholeheartedly with his decision. "Good."
He stepped away from the now dead body, back to where Suzaku was standing stone still. "Now, I have devised a plan to remedy the situation we are in. I will require one of you to aid me in this. Know it will be a difficult task, one that may surpass anything I have asked of you thus far. Will any of you here accept this task?"
There was a moment of silence before someone stepped forward, earning a glance from the rest of them. "I will, Allen."
Lelouch gave a smile to the volunteer, genuinely pleased to see it. "Ah, I doubt I'll see the same mistakes from you, Kallen."
From where she stood, The redhead beamed with pride. Where Allen's wrath made one want to hide under the biggest rock on earth, his praise made you feel like you could crush that rock with your bare hands.
"Now, the rest of you carry on with your regular duties. We'll see to it that this problem is taken care of." He looked to the growing red pool in front of him. "And someone clean up that mess."
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